Tuesday, July 09, 2013

How Exactly Gluten Creates Neurological Disease

If you follow
this blog or any major research into the field of gluten sensitivity, you
likely know that neurological symptoms such as neuropathy, ataxia, migraines,
schizophrenia and more, are quite commonly seen as associated with gluten.
While you may know this if you’re a ‘seasoned veteran’ on the topic, if you’re
brand new to the field it likely comes as a great surprise.

Gluten is,
after all, something we eat, so how could it possibly cause problems with the
nervous system? The stomach, yes, that’s understandable. The nervous system
sounds like a bit of a stretch. I’ll be the first to agree that gluten’s
reactions, that factually number about 200, are not intuitive. Why would a food
damage your liver or your heart or your reproductive system? But indeed it
does, and considering that neurological problems tend to head the list of THE
most common reactions, I think it’s time that more people knew and understood
the mechanism.

Such an understanding
by lay persons and doctors alike will hopefully open the door to quicker
diagnoses and better health.

I was very
pleased to be introduced to the work of Sayer Ji, an author of several books
and founder and director of GreenMedInfo.com.

After exploring
60 years of research on gluten, he asks the important question of whether
gluten-containing grains contribute to psychiatric disorders such as
schizophrenia. The question isn't a new one and research into the connection
between gluten and schizophrenia is strong. In fact it’s a discussion we've had
on this blog as well as my blog on the healthnowmedical.com site. What’s perhaps
more important is how wide a net can be cast as it relates to gluten and
psychiatric problems in general, not just schizophrenia.

Beginning in
the 1950s there is literature to support the link between a gluten-free diet
and resolution of emotional disturbances. It is interesting to note that during
that same time period in history, the disease schizophrenia was known as ‘bread
madness’.

Also in the
mid-fifties a link was made between those with celiac and schizophrenia. There
was seen to be a higher prevalence of the diseases together than when a normal
non-celiac patient was evaluated for the condition.

A study
published in 1966 in The American Journal
of Clinical Nutritionentitled “Wheat “consumption” and Hospital
Admissions for Schizophrenia During World War II” confirmed a suspicion that
less wheat and rye ingestion equaled less first-time hospital admissions for
schizophrenia. The results were not only confirmed in the United States, but
also in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Canada.

Another
interesting correlation was found in remote parts of the world where grains aren't consumed. Specifically Papau New Guinea, Malaita, Solomon Islands and
Yap, Micronesia inhabitants had an extremely low incidence of schizophrenia.
Yet when these same populations became partially westernized and foods such as
wheat, barley and beer were introduced, their incidence of schizophrenia quickly
reached European levels.

In 1976, Science published a study that showed
schizophrenics who maintained a gluten-free, dairy-free diet, when challenged
with gluten, experienced an interruption of their progress therapeutically. As
soon as gluten was removed from the diet, improvement was again seen.

As we have
discussed before, recent research from 2010 and 2011 has shown a specific
association with gluten sensitivity, more prominent than even that seen with
celiac disease, and schizophrenia. A full 20% of those with schizophrenia were
found to be positive for anti-gliadin antibodies, a test that can reveal celiac
disease but is less specific for the disease and more commonly seen in those
with gluten sensitivity.

Finally, the
most recent research from this year, published in World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, compared a large group of
schizophrenics (950) to healthy control subjects (1,000) and discovered that
the odds of being positive for anti-gliadin antibodies in the blood was over two
times higher in schizophrenics.

It seems
pretty clear, does it not, that the correlation is strong? Yet does every
psychiatrist diagnosing someone with schizophrenia test them for gluten
sensitivity? Sadly I doubt it, not to mention the other neurological diseases
that could be caused by gluten.

But let’s get
back to the mechanism: HOW does gluten create neurological problems.

1. It’s important to realize that
wheat gliadin is just one of over 20,000 different proteins found in wheat. The
proteins present in glutinous grains are not readily digestible in man - in
fact they are not at all digestible.

Really? Yes. We may eat these grains, but we are not
able to digest them more than partially.

Haven’t we been eating them ‘forever’? Why would we
continue eating them if we can’t digest them?

Historically speaking, human evolution is 2.5
million years old. For 99.9% of that time, man has NOT eaten gluten. Therefore,
it’s actually a rather new food for man and not one he can completely digest.

The pieces or peptides of the partially digested
protein are can be inflammatory and disease producing in those sensitive to
them. According the Dr Fasano, one such peptide induces cell death. Another causes
the secretion of zonulin, the protein that causes leaky gut.

2. The incomplete protein digestion
stimulates the immune system to make antibodies (these are defensive proteins
made by the immune system to destroy foreign, toxic invaders) to attack the pieces
of protein. The poor digestion, compounded by a leaky gut, results in these
segments migrating out of the small intestine and into the general circulation.
The proof of this is antibodies to gliadin being found in the blood.

3. It is these antibodies, now
present in the bloodstream, that have been seen to react with neurological
structures in the human body, in addition to the gliadin they were originally
made to attack. A study published in Journal
of Immunology discovered that the
antibodies made against gliadin could bind to a protein found with the nerve
fibers, resulting in, the authors believed, complications such as neuropathy,
seizures, ataxia and behavioral changes.

Nutritional Neuroscience in 2004 found that the same
gliadin antibodies were more prevalent in children with autism, causing, they
posited, the neurological damage seen with the condition.

What
percentage of the population has these pesky anti-gliadin antibodies? It is
estimated that 27 percent of the general population but a whopping 57 percent
of those individuals suffering from neurological issues has an immune system
that make antibodies against gliadin.

Sayer Ji
posed this question: “Is it possible that gluten-containing grains are
adversely affecting the mental health of the world at large, perhaps mostly on
a subclinical basis?” What he means by ‘subclinical’ are those suffering with
symptoms but who have no formal diagnosis of a disease state.

Based on our
clinical experience here at HealthNOW, I would say that is a very likely
scenario. While no one is saying that a gluten reaction is the sole cause of
every neurological problem faced by mankind, the link is a strong one and
should not, in my opinion, be ignored.

What can you
do?

First of all
consider sharing this information with friends and family. I have seen so many
individuals enjoy marked changes in their mood, behavior and neurological
health as a result of eliminating gluten from their diet. While it’s
frightening to consider the sheer number of people that could be suffering
needlessly with serious conditions, on the same note it is exciting to think
that if we got this information out widely to the general public, we could be
doing a tremendous service for their health.

If you are
wondering if gluten is affecting your mental or neurological health, do
consider getting tested for both celiac and gluten sensitivity. If the test is
negative (remember, these tests aren't perfect and they often miss those with a
problem) still engage in a 30 day gluten elimination diet. You must be strict
and aim for perfection when you do this. Please get armed with all the information
you need such that you can avoid mistakes. Consider visiting this page on my
website. It contains all the most common places that gluten can hide. Read it
thoroughly, prepare your pantry and then start.

If you cannot
get a lab test, definitely ‘test’ yourself with the 30 day elimination diet. Some
people notice a difference in how they feel relatively quickly. Others require
several weeks before noticing a change. Regardless, stick with it for 30 days
and monitor if you feel better physically or mentally.

But don’t,
please, negate your own experience when changing your diet. Feeling an
improvement is a valid test in and of itself, and is perhaps all you really
need to perhaps make a huge change in your health.

I hope you
found this informative. Please share it with those you know and contact me with
any questions or comments you may have. Here at HealthNOW we are a destination
clinic. Patients come from across the country and internationally to receive
care here. Therefore, you don’t need to live locally to be helped.

If you need assistance, consider contacting us for a
free health analysis. Just call us at 408-733-0400.To your good health,Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN
Founder of HealthNOW Medical CenterGluten Free Doctor of the Year 2013
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

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Who Are We?

The Gluten Doctors are a group of doctors consisting of MDs, Naturopaths and Certified Clinical Nutritionists.

Two of the doctors, Drs. Rick and Vikki Petersen, authored the bestseller, "The Gluten Effect", a book which exposes the dangers of gluten and provides a path to good health for those with gluten sensitivity.

The Gluten Doctors specialize in the area of digestive problems, especially gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Their clinic, HealthNOW Medical Center, is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, California.